Seed or fertilizer drill.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TURNER HUNT NACE, OF TALLADEGA, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO R. A.

WARD, N. M. wEAvEa'AND GEORGIA. Y

GEORGE MoDoNALD, on CUTHBERT,

SSEED IOTRzFEIRTILIZER DRILL,

SPECIFICATION fqrming'part of Leu-.ers Patent No; 721,733, dau-,drawn3,1903,

Application filed January 25,1902l 'Serial No. 91,225. y (No model.) Y

To @ZZ whom it may col/worm Y Be it known that I, TUENER'HUNT NANCE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Talladega, in the county ofTalladega and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Seed orFertilizer Drill,v of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to seed or fertilizer drills; and the objectthereof isto provide mechanism of this character which will positivelyfeed seed, grain, and fertilizer to a number of drill-teethsimultaneously, said mechanism being of a simple character that can beconstructed at small expense', thereby placing the machine within thereach of agriculturists operating upon a small or large scale. I Y

The preferred construction of the invention is fully illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and described'in the following speciication,though such slight changes may be made as are found desirable providedthe changes fall within the scope of the claims hereto appended.l

In the drawings, Figure 1 Yis a side-elevation of a seeder constructedinaccordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinalsectional View through one of the hoppers or receptacles. Fig. 3 is avertical transverse section through the machine. Fig. 4 is a detailsectional view through a portion of the driving-gear.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings. Y t

As shown in Fig.' 1, an ordinary frame `10 is shown,having the'usualtongue 11 and supported upon wheels 12, which wheels constitute driversfor the feeding mechanism. Upon the frame between the wheels issupported al receptacle 13,divided by an intermediate longitudinalpartition 1,4 into va pair of hoppers l5. Dropper-tubes 16 areV locatedbeneath these hoppers and preferablyhave their upper ends branched,'asshown at 17, said branches being each in communication with [/one of thehoppers. Instead of this specific arrangement it willbe evident thatseparate tubes may be employed,if desired. The lower ends of the tubesare inserted in the hollow drill-teeth 18, which are pivoted at theirupper endsto links 19, the upper rear ends being secured to the usualchains 20. Directly above the inlet ends of the branches 17 are locatedtriangular covers or deectors 21, the upper inclined faces of which arearranged to direct the material on opposite sides of the inlets.Alongitudinally-disposed worm-shaft 22 is journaled along the bottom ofeach hopper and carries worm -threads 23, which threads iit insemicircular seats 24 made for for the purpose in the bottoms of saidhopper. These shafts are preferably supported throughout their lengthsby boXings 25, secured to the under sides of the covers 2l, and saidshafts may be constructed of separate sections, if desired. Theworms 23Y extend across the spaces between the covers to points over the inletends ofthe branches, so that the material gravitating between saidcovers will vbe positively carried to'points directly over the inlets,through which it will drop into the tubes, and thence to the ground. Inorder to prevent vthe bridging or -chokingiof the :spaces between theIcovers, stirrers 26r are 1ocated between the same, said stirrers beingconstructed and operated in a manner similar to that described in mycopending application filed simultaneously herewith, Serial No. 91,224.That application contains claims broad enough to cover the presentstructure, While no claims are made herein which can beread upon the.construction set forth in said other applic at ion.- As shown, thestir- "rers each consist of a transverse shaft 27,

journaled' in suitable bonings 28, secured to the opposite inclinedwalls of the hopper and carrying an annular series of spike-teeth 29,

ythat mesh with theV exposed portion of the worm-thread, whereby said'shaft is rotated. The `shaftalso carries oppositely-projectingstirrer-fin gers 30, that are located on opposite sides of the teeth 29.

Any desired gear connection maybe made between the Vwheels 12 of themachine and the worm-shaft 22, though these connections are preferablymade as follows: An idler-sprocket 31 is journaled upon the end of thereceptacle above the shafts, and a sprocket-chain 32 passes around thisidler and about another IOS) Wheel secured to the shaft or drive-Wheel12. To the idler 3l are detachably secured sprocket-wheels 33, aboutwhich pass chains 34, which also pass around other sprocketwheels 35,secured to the ends of the wormshaft 22. As a result when the machine ismoved in a forwardly direction motion will be transmitted through theseseveral sprocket chains and wheels to the shaft and the worms will berevolved as will also the stirrers. As a result any material placedwithin the hoppers, whether it be fertilizer or grain, or both, will bepositively fed by the worms to the inlet ends of the tubes, and suchmaterial will thereupon gravitate down said tubes and into the furrowsbehind the drill-teeth. Should it be desired to change the speed of theworms, and consequently the amount of material fed through the tubes, itis only necessary to remove the sprocket-wheels 33 and replace them bysmaller or larger ones.

It will be seen that this construction is very simple and that themachine may be manufactured at comparative small cost, so that it willbe within the reach of large or small farmers. Furthermore, the actionof the feeding mechanism is positive and the amount fed can be regulatedas desired. While there is illustrated a well-known form of worm, theinvention is not to be limited to this specic form, but other kinds wellknown to the art may be employed, if desired.

From the foregoingitis thought that the construction, operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

No claim is made herein to the rotatable feed-worm and the rotarystirrer having teeth meshing with the worm and being revolved thereby,as this portion of the construction is fully covered by the aforesaidcopending application, Serial No. 91,224.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isl l. In a seeder, the combination with areceptacle having a bottom, of a plurality of spaced dropper-tubesleading from said bottom, a plurality of spaced triangular coverslocated over the dropper-tubes, a shaft journaled in thebottom of thereceptacle, bearings for said shaft located beneath the covers, andworm-threads secured to the shaft and extending from the spaces betweenthe covers to points over the dropper-tubes.

2. In a seeder, the combination with a receptacle having a bottomprovided with discharge-openin gs, of a plurality of spaceddropper-tubes leading from the openings in the bottom,oppositely-inclined spaced walls located over the adjacent tubes andspaced from the bottom, said walls constituting covers for thedischarge-openings, worms extending between the walls and over theadjacent dropper-tubes, and stirrers rotatably mounted -between saidinclined spaced walls above the worms.

3. In a seeder, the combination with a receptacle having a bottom, of aplurality of spaced dropper-tubes leading from the bottom,oppositely-inclined spaced Walls located over adjacent tubes andconstituting covers therefor, worms extending from the spaces betweenthe walls to the adjacent droppertubes, and stirrers rotatably mountedbetween said inclined spaced walls, said stirrers being geared to androtated by the worms.

4. In a seeder, the combination with a receptacle, having a bottom, of aplurality of spaced dropper-tubes leading from the bottom, a pluralityof spaced triangular covers located over the dropper-tubes, a Wormextending from the space between each pair of covers toa point over eachdropper-tube, and stirrers rotatably mounted between the adjacent coversand having teeth that mesh with the worms, whereby said stirrers arerotated.

5. In a seeder, a plurality of receptacles located side by side,dropper-tubes having branches leading from each receptacle, spacedcovers located over the inlet ends of the branches, worms extending fromthe spaces between the covers of the inlets to the branches, and meansfor simultaneously rotating the worms.

6. In a seeder, the combination with a hopper having a bottom, ofdropper-tubes leading from the bottom, spaced covers located over theinlet ends of the tubes, a worm-shaft arranged within the receptaclebetween the covers and the bottom, and bearings for said shaft disposedbeneath the covers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I' have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

TURNER I-IUNT NANCE.

Witnesses: JOHN H. SIGGERS, FLORENCE E. WALTER.

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